Counting Cats
by sllebswap
Summary: EiRin Aristocats inspired AU ft. Elite 10!kitties. The Cat Café receives a new feline resident…
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Counting Cats

 **Author:** sllebswap

 **Characters/Pairing:** Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi

 **Type:** One-Shot (Complete)

 **Genre:** Romance/Humor

 **Word Count:** 1267

 **Rating:** T (Contains content not suitable for children)

 **Disclaimer:** Shokugeki no Souma belongs to Tsukuda-san.

 **Summary:** Aristocats inspired AU ft. Elite 10!kitties. The Cat Café receives a new feline resident…

 **Verse:** Aristocats inspired AU

 **Chapter Last Revised on:** 18/06/18

* * *

He was easily the prettiest creature she had ever seen gracing these halls…and she would know, having lived here for as long as she could remember. He also obviously did not look like he belonged to this kind of place; the bustling and busy environment startling him enough that he was visibly bristling from accumulated stress, and he had bolted straight for one of little unoccupied cubbyholes to hide in the moment they let him loose in here.

 _Not really a social one, huh._

Perched up high on her favorite resting spot, Rindou's ever present curiosity was roused. She wasn't the only one. The other inhabitants within the centre had also noted the new arrival, and some – like Isshiki and Kuga – were already meandering over to check out the newcomer, though their nosy nature was hardly appreciated, it seemed. There were plenty of startled hissing to be heard when Kuga stuck his head into the little nook which the stranger had claimed for his own, and the slight, indignant Bengal had promptly gotten scratched on the nose for his efforts, yowling with displeasure as he bounded off to lick his wounds.

Isshiki had been rather amused by the other feline's bad fortune, though the tawny Siberian wisely decided not to push his luck. He gracefully picked his way over to Nene instead, though the beautiful Russian Blue gave him a deadpan, withering stare…and then she promptly ignored him, her tail flicking back and forth in silent irritation. But Isshiki had always found entertainment in subtly needling the aloof female, delicately toeing the line and testing her level of tolerance more and more with each day…

Rindou decided that she would the first to fall off her branch laughing when Nene finally reached the end of her tether and gave the other cat a good smack for being deliberately annoying. She rolled onto her back and stretched luxuriantly, absently paddling her paws in the air. Her stomach was starting to growl with hunger, reminding her rather unceremoniously that she had been snoozing all day and it was time to mosey on up and about to look for dinner. But first…

The Somali lazily heaved herself onto her feet. Her long, bottle brush tail waved idly behind her, and intelligent slit gold eyes surveyed her surroundings briefly before she started to leisurely pick her way down the cat tree, one ledge at a time. She passed Eizan one level down, and the sleek Siamese looked irritated and cross as always. So Rindou stepped daintily on the younger cat on her way past, much to his growl of displeasure. She flicked her tail in his face in amusement, quick enough that it automatically engaged his attention, though he failed to react fast enough to catch the fluffy appendage, which only served to make him crabbier.

"Bitch," he mumbled, though she was hardly impressed.

"Excuse you, I'm a _Queen_ ~"

Pleased that her effort at being irritating had been properly recognized, Rindou snickered and leapt off the edge, landing gracefully on the ground. She sauntered over to where Kuga was sitting in the corner, the ruffled feline licking its forepaw aggrievedly and then trying rather ineffectively to clean the shallow wound on his nose. A few paces away, Megishima watched with faint sympathy…though it was hard to tell, what with the Persian always looking so _dour_ …

Rindou came to a stop before the Bengal, her head tilted as she watched Kuga working in vain to get at the hard to reach spot.

"Stuuuupiddd," she uttered, and the lithe, wiry male paused in his motions to glower at her. She sat down and smirked faintly. "You should know better, Kuga~ New guy got ya good, didn't he?"

"Oh, shaddap," the bicolored tom snapped grouchily. He was still attempting to clean himself but to no avail. "How was I to know that the new fella's gonna be so testy?"

Rindou gave the other feline a blank look. "How calm were you again when you first got here…?" she asked pointedly. The half feral Bengal had been so jumpy and on edge for weeks, he was practically scaling the walls every time he so much as accidentally startled himself.

A wave of chagrin and embarrassment washed over the younger cat at her reminder.

"That's different!" Kuga flashed his fangs, only for his senpai to raise her paw and bat at him. She also stood up and took it upon herself to push his head down and flop on top of him, and the smaller feline yowled in protest. " _Hey_!"

The Somali ignored him and set upon doing her first good deed of the day. She pinned him and generously washed his wound for him, the way a mother cat would an errant kitten. To say that Kuga was not pleased by her consideration would be understating it.

"Don't treat me like a baby!" he sputtered, trying to wiggle free but Rindou had quite a good grasp on him and she wasn't going to let up until she was well and ready to do so.

"Then don't behave like one," she muttered in between licks. "Quit squirming, will ya! I'm doin' you a favor here!"

"I don't need your favor! Yer droolin' all over my face!"

He got another smack on the nose for his efforts, which made him hiss even more. "Are you tryin' to make me better or worse?!"

Overhead, Somei silently watched the two with Momo tucked up quietly beside him. For some reason, the young Ragdoll kitten had taken to the Norwegian Forest cat and would often play or curl up next to him. She seemed rather dazzled by the fact that he was the largest cat she had ever seen in her young life, and she particularly liked to pat at him with her paws and stalk his thick, plume-like tail, much to his silent chagrin. However, her presence was certainly more preferred in comparison to some of the _noisier_ inhabitants living in this compound, for sure…

Rindou finally let go of Kuga, satisfied that she had done her best, and immediately, the Bengal sprung up and away, visibly fluffed up and all but flying up the nearest tree to recover from her 'attack' and frantically groom himself back to some semblance of normalcy. The female feline who had been the cause of this uproar only stood up and moseyed over to the cubbyhole where the newcomer was still cooped in.

Just like Kuga had before, she fearlessly stuck her head into the opening.

Gold met pale lavender.

The white Turkish Angora was wide eyed and visibly stressed still, fangs parted, panting from fatigue and anxiety.

"Are you still having a panic attack?" she asked him rhetorically. "If you start hyperventilating, they're gonna poke you with needles and make you wear a cone, ya know. That's gonna suck even more for you, Whitey."

The other cat focused on her, stiff and hackles raised. But he wasn't attacking her, though perhaps his restraint was also because she wasn't being particularly threatening to him. He was silent, however, and she wondered if he was mute or hard of hearing. But Rindou could be patient, and it wasn't as if there was anything very interesting going on at the moment anyway. The red furred Somali sat back down on her haunches and idly licked her forepaw, her pretty foxlike tail wrapped daintily around her legs.

"… _What_ is this place?" he asked uncertainly after long minutes, still looking very lost.

"What's your name?" she asked him in return. "I'm Rindou. Welcome to the Cat Café."

* * *

 _::owari::_

* * *

 **Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Eishi: Turkish Angora (white)

Rindou: Somali (red)

Tosuke: Persian (black)

Momo: Ragdoll (bicolor lilac)

Somei: Norwegian Forest cat (smoke)

Nene: Russian Blue

Satoshi: Siberian (orange)

Etsuya: Siamese (seal point)

Terunori: Bengal (orange tabby)

 **xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews make me update faster; so please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-sllebswap


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Beware of Cat

 **Author:** sllebswap

 **Characters/Pairing:** Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi

 **Type:** One-Shot (Complete)

 **Genre:** Romance/Humor

 **Word Count:** 3157

 **Rating:** T (Contains content not suitable for children)

 **Disclaimer:** Shokugeki no Souma belongs to Tsukuda-san.

 **Summary:** Aristocats inspired AU ft. Elite 10!kitties. If you're sad, I'll stay beside you.

 **Verse:** Aristocats inspired AU

 **Chapter Last Revised on:** 18/06/18

* * *

The huntress had found her target. She was crouched low, completely silent, her slit pupiled eyes focused sharply on the back of her unwitting prey. Her prey was not an elusive quarry to hunt, but still a certain amount of expertise was required... _or it would not be fun now, would it?_ Her tail twitched back and forth with intrigue and anticipation as she silently bid her time, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. Slowly, unnoticeably, she slunk forward, little by little, inch by inch, her claws carefully sheathed, her paw pads making nary a sound-

Her target straightened suddenly, looking warily around, and she stilled, hunkering down until her belly was touching the ground, out of sight once more. Minutes ticked by, and she held herself so motionless that not even a twitch of her furry ear or a blink of her gold eyes betrayed her presence. Her careful effort paid off, for eventually, her previously spooked prey slowly relaxed, sitting on its haunches and blinking tiredly-

She started to stalk forward again, her shoulder blades rising and falling in pronounced, deliberate tandem as she picked up speed. She was in top form. She was deadly grace. She was killing perfection. The hour was now. The time was ripe!

With a powerful, uncoiling stride, the mighty huntress leapt into the air and stretched out to her full length with a triumphant roar, agilely springing upon her target with a precise glee. _Death from above!_

"Gotcha!"

Eishi nearly jumped out of his skin at the victorious _meow_ that had abruptly cut through what had (previously) been a quiet afternoon. The skittish Turkish Angora instinctively twisted around with lithe, reactive speed, rolling onto his back in surprise, claws coming out to defend himself from the incoming ball of red fur…though it wasn't him in particular that she had jumped on.

Correction; it wasn't _all_ of him, at least.

The Somali happily pounced on the furry white tail of her housemate, pinning the fluffy, cloud like appendage down with her paws, and then she went on swiftly 'murder' it by sinking her sharp fangs into the tip.

" _Ow_! What are you-" Eishi hissed and scrambled to get away from the crazy feline. This was not the first time she had stalked his tail – it was only a few days since he had joined this strange clowder of cats but now he was very quickly realizing just why everyone sat around with their tails wrapped very neatly around themselves.

There was a serial tail biter on the loose.

" _Rawr_!"

"Will you _stop_ that?!"

He managed to knock her aside before she could really dig in and make him bleed. Again.

Eishi was not a happy camper. All he wanted to do was be left alone to contemplate his recent circumstances and feel sorry for himself but this other feline in particular was refusing to leave him be to brood. He sputtered when the cat in question recovered easily from being pushed away and bounced back at him with undeterred enthusiasm. She bumped into him and sent him careening onto the ground again, and she tripped over his flailing limbs and flopped on him. She also trod all over him, still determined to capture her elusive prize that was coincidentally sticking out of his rear end waving about like an enticing flag. He meowed unhappily.

The two cats scuffled and rolled across the floor, and it quickly became obvious which was the one more use to roughhousing; the red Queen was very much dominating this 'friendly' tussle. She chirruped and did a small little pounce onto his tail again, and then she finally caught it deftly between her forepaws and stilled it by putting it between her fangs, not exactly biting down, but holding it in her mouth and keeping it captive, looking very proud of herself for having caught her prey.

Tucked safely away in various favorite nooks around the café, the other cats watched the commotion with varying levels of interest, some relieved that the rambunctious Somali had found herself a new toy to bother, while apathetic others could hardly care less what was going on.

Eishi glowered quietly at the other feline holding his tail hostage.

"Are you done?" he asked her. "Please give my tail back."

She tilted her head at him, as if she didn't quite understand him. She shook her head at him.

"Sh'mhine!" she told him in a muffled mumble around the fluffy, tufty mass in her mouth. "I kaud'eet! Orr ohn myne ohwn!"

He was very nonplussed by her ridiculous reply. He tried tugging his appendage back, but no. She had it sandwiched very firmly between her jaws. "Are you still a kitten?" he demanded to know, and she just gave him a prim look, radiating smugness in a way that silently implied that she knew that she was in the right and that nothing he said could change her mind. He was very tempted to swipe at her just to get her to let go, but also knew from precious experience as well as observations of her interactions with the other cats that she had a way of rolling right over you (sometimes quite literally) _and_ still doing whatever she wanted in the end, so it was quite futile going against her. They were at an impasse.

And the new cat really did not have energy or the spirit to fight her, upset as he was.

Rindou watched the other feline literally wilt into a depressed puddle in front of her. She looked very bemused by his change of state (both physically and emotionally). Whitey sure was quite a funny guy, if he wasn't so glum and moody all the time.

"Waii dyu wook sho unhwapphy?"

"…"

It turned out that ignoring her was just the thing to get her to stop her wild shenanigans. She dropped his tail at last, curiosity once again dictating her responses. She stood up and pattered closer to him, nosing him and lightly batting at him inquisitively. He had reeked of misery and antsy anxiety from the very first day he had been put here, and even though he was calming down a lot more now, he still leaked with distress every now and then. Most of the other felines in the compound instinctively kept their distance, but that was not so for Rindou. She really, really _really_ wanted to know what was up with him.

"Why are you so sad?" she nosed him some more, nudging him a bit when he still refused to respond. _Was he hurt somewhere?_ But there was no smell of blood, so that did not seem to be the case… She circled him once, twice, and then she finally settled down beside him after her third circuit. "It's no fun 'ta be sad all the time, ya know."

He looked at her dully. "…Please leave me alone."

He was homesick for a place that he could no longer return to, grieving for a master who was no longer of this world. He did not expect this weird, crazy cat to understand the trauma that he had gone through the last couple of weeks, and neither was he in any mood to expose the rawness of his pain for the sake of satisfying the idly curious. He wanted to go home, but had been made to come to terms with the stark understanding that home was… _here_ …now, amongst all these strange felines he did not seem to have any affinity for…

But this oddball Somali, she was a bit different from the others. Instead of giving him space like he obviously wanted, she had put herself right in his personal bubble instead, being very annoyingly distracting and making it very difficult for him to be one with his depressing thoughts.

"…Why are you doing this?" he asked her blankly, uncomprehending.

Because now she was making herself quite comfortable beside him. In fact, she was even starting to groom herself…and then, as if in afterthought…she started grooming him, _too_. She peered at him with her bright gold eyes.

"Huh? Whaddya mean ' _why_?' 'Coz being alone when you're sad really sucks, of course!"

* * *

 _::owari::_

* * *

 **Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Your reviews make me update faster; so please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-sllebswap


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Cats just wanna have fun

 **Author:** sllebswap

 **Characters/Pairing:** Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi

 **Type:** One-Shot (Complete)

 **Genre:** Romance/Humor

 **Word Count:** 3715

 **Rating:** T (Contains content not suitable for children)

 **Disclaimer:** Shokugeki no Souma belongs to Tsukuda-san.

 **Summary:** Aristocats inspired AU ft. Elite 10!kitties. Everyday is more fun with you~

 **Verse:** Aristocats inspired AU

 **Chapter Last Revised on:** 21/10/18

* * *

He had finally gotten around to resignedly accepting his new existence as a member of this oddball household.

Barely, gingerly, beginning to settle into the hustle and bustle of his new home that was the cat café, her chirpy company had become something of a comforting norm for him, even if nothing else than for the fact that she simply _refused_ to leave him alone long enough to wallow in his misery.

Much to his bewilderment.

He did not understand her at all, this crimson cat that was his new housemate.

Most afternoons, she would happily curl up next to him and groom him, chittering his ears off and very capable of holding an entire conversation with herself even when he chose to remain quiet. She was _really_ friendly, almost bordering on obnoxious and overbearing. But then she also liked to pick on him too, at other times, just for _fun_ \- his poor tail would never be the same again from her frequent sneak attacks. She generously shared all of her favorite napping spots with him, showing them off with pride and glee. He wouldn't exactly call those aforementioned areas prime positions for sleeping in – she seemed to like to cram herself into really snug, awkward spaces and he really did not know how she managed to sleep so precariously stuck hanging between cubicles…belly up.

It didn't take him long to realize that despite her peculiar tendencies, this happy go lucky red-furred Somali was also the one that presided over this relaxed clowder of cats. The others easily gave into her antics that were often fueled by playfulness and bright eyed curiosity, all resigned to the understanding that the sooner this rambunctious feline had her way with them, the faster she would move onto her next target.

Much to his chagrin, her latest object of interest had been him…though she had been distracted the last few days. She liked high places, and she also especially liked to stare out of the windows of the café, intently watching the passersby as well as observing the going ons of their street.

That day, he watched her with wary curiosity as she sat primly on the countertop with her fluffy, fiery tail curled neatly around her toes. It was noon so most of the other cats were taking advantage of the quiet downtime to nap.

Eizan the Siamese had taken over a cubby hole at the highest section of the cat tower on the other side of the room, hissing irritably at just about everyone who dared pass by his kitty cave. Right across the compound on a luxuriously soft pet bed, Momo was curled up into the side of the warm, quietly purring form of Somei, the tiny Ragdoll lulled to slumber by the gigantic, stoic Norwegian Forest Cat.

Tosuke the Persian was tucked away in the corner, owlishly spacing off with usual staid, deadpan composure, and Terunori slowly ambled over. The handsome striped Bengal plopped down and began to wash himself, one hind leg stuck high in the air, grooming with nonchalance. All that noisy licking was obnoxious enough that it attracted the ire of the Russian Blue not far away, and the female stared disapprovingly at the vulgar antics of her fellow housemate. Not that the Bengal cared about what she thought; no, Terunori eyed Nene with arched, blasé impudence as he continued what he was doing. She wasn't close enough to smack him as she was wont to do when he got her too irritated, and besides, the tawny Siberian mere paces away from her seemed more in immediate danger of her aloof displeasure than he did at the moment.

Satoshi was _still_ trying to incite Nene to play, often subtly teasing and taunting the beautiful cat to get a reaction out of her. Unfortunately, instead of receptiveness, his antics only served to make the other feline even more defensive and annoyed…

The Turkish Angora carefully kept an eye on his eccentric housemates. There were plenty of dynamics playing between the various cats and he wasn't particularly interested in getting into any of it. Which was why he had eventually decided that sticking with Rindou made the most sense. Yes, she was certainly rambunctious and unsettlingly amiable at times but at least with her, he sensed no uncomfortable undercurrent of tension or unrest…and unlike the others who still viewed him with cagey wariness, she actually seemed quite happy to hang out with him.

She was…a _friend_.

Maybe. _Probably_.

He had belonged to a one-cat household for as long as he lived…at least until he had been brought into this place. There hadn't been many opportunities to interact with other felines in the past, which was why he had been so overwhelmed on the first few weeks of his arrival as well as subsequent introduction to the many members of his new household. While he wasn't particularly aggressive or territorial, he was, however very protective of his personal space – a concept which unfortunately for him, was something Rindou possessed a dim view of. He had been resentful, until it occurred to him that he had been kept so busy being bothered by her he had no time to feel sorry for himself.

Eishi had no idea if that was a good thing, but at least he was no longer sad all the time. Maybe that was why he stuck close to her; she really was bewilderingly distracting.

It didn't take her long to sense his regard, and her golden eyes slid over to meet his briefly before she returned her attention out the window. He did not know what had caught her attention so; there was nothing really special going on outside but she had been staring with such intent focus that he could not help but wonder if he was missing something.

"…What are you looking at?" he asked at last, no longer able to deny his curiosity. She flicked another glance at him before standing up and padding over. She butted her forehead affectionately against his throat in a friendly gesture, and he paused, his tail flicking a bit uncertainly at her proximity. She sat beside him and chirruped.

"I'm plannin' my next grand adventure!"

"Next…grand…adventure…?" he trailed off, unsurely. As far as he knew, he hadn't seen any of them leaving the café in the weeks that he had been here. "We get to go out?"

Her eyes glimmered with mischief. "Of course we do! Just don't get caught!"

 _Just don't get caught-_

His expression was blank as he stared at her, but she was unrepentantly unfazed.

"Hey, hey, do you like fish?" She licked her lips with anticipation, just thinking about sweet, delicious _fish_.

"…Yes?" Who wouldn't love fish? They all went crazy for tuna whenever they were given the canned treats.

"What if I told you that there's a building out there crammed full of fish? We definitely hafta go and investigate, right, right?"

 _A building…full of fish?_ That sounded too good to be true.

"Just imagine; we'd have all the yummy fish we want! We hafta go and check it out!"

Before Eishi could form a proper response, Satoshi wandered over. The Siberian sat down on his haunches and idly licked his forepaw. "Is she telling you that story about the building of fish again?"

Eishi gazed at the other Tom. Rindou huffed.

"Oh, you non-believer! Old man Senzaemon from the other block said that he had been there! It does exists!"

The huge British Shorthair with a long dashing scar over his right eye would stop by the cat café every other week or so as he patrolled his territory, and each time he did, the old stray would share experiences of his travels. The big building of fish was amongst one of many such tales and it was Rindou's favorite story. She was determined to see it for herself, and somehow Eishi was being roped into it as well.

"Come with me; it'd be fun~! I know a way outta here!"

He was vaguely skeptical, but at the same time there was something about her offer that attracted him, too.

A chance to get out.

 _But-_

"Why ask me?" he wanted to know.

She scoffed. "'Coz all the others are chicken, of course!"

"Maybe we just aren't that interested," Satoshi commented with amused composure.

Rindou hissed slightly, comical affront written all over her furry features. "Blasphemy! It's _fish_!"

"You'll get in trouble," Nene warned quietly from several paces away, finally offering her caution.

Rindou's tail flicked with disdain. "Not if we're careful."

The red Somali turned to the Turkish Angora beside her, impishness evident in her pointed features, the twinkle in her gold slit eyes. She nudged the pure white feline, her vulpine face filling his field of vision. "C'mon, Whiteyyy~ Go on an adventure with meeee! C'mon Whiteyyyy, c'mon Whiteeeyyy~!"

He was starting to get a bit overwhelmed by her friendliness. Or rather, her _over_ friendliness.

"O-Okay," he spluttered at last, frazzled by her headbutts and mewing and pestering. "I'll go, I'll go, so _stop_ -"

"Yes, you're the best!" Rindou cheered. She immediately turned and leapt deftly down the countertop, her bottlebrush tail raised high like a flag. She was definitely in high spirits now. She called over her shoulder. "We gotta go now, before the humans come back in the morning!"

"Now?" He was startled by the abruptness of the decision. " _Now_?"

"That's right, slowpoke! Hurry up!"

Eishi looked unsurely at the other felines. Satoshi was subtly inching closer to Nene again, and the two cats weren't paying anyone else a lick of attention at the moment. Terunori was staring right at him, though. The Bengal smirked with amusement, before breaking off eye contact. The Turkish Angora got up and slowly picked his way towards Rindou, his pace measured and unhurried. His Somali companion was antsy and eager in comparison, waiting impatiently for him to keep up.

"How are we getting out?" he asked. The cat café was essentially one large room with small coffee tables and comfortable seats scattered everywhere. It was cozy, filled with toys and cat towers and little nooks and nests for the feline inhabitants and pretty much a haven for cats. But it was also something of a secure enclosure, though most of them were indoor cats and did not mind this captivity whatsoever. Rindou was a bit strange compared to the others. She was always pacing about restlessly and now he was beginning to realize why. She was attempting to sneak out…and he had just agreed to be her accomplice.

He was usually not for escaping, having spent most of his life indoors as well. But this time, there was somewhere he yearned desperately to go…and she seemed to know how to get out of this plush, gilded prison.

"It's easy peasy," she boasted, as she slunk over to the side of one of the largest cat condominium, tucked away in one corner of the room. "There's a little vent hidden here at the back… Just. Need. To. Reach. It."

There was a dark, narrow gap between the wall and the tower structure and Rindou had unhesitatingly stuck her head into the opening, determinedly trying to squish herself into it. She did not seem to be making much headway at first, what with how _fluffy_ she was. Out of all the female cats in the café, she was easily the largest of them all. Nene was slender for her breed and Momo was the runt of her litter and just so petite that she might as well have been part Munchkin as well. The Somali, on the other hand, was hearty and robust and could even easily hold her own against most of the males in the compound. With a long, rangy prowl and a thick, luxurious coat of handsome crimson fur, she was the most striking feline in the cat café.

Eishi watched warily as her rear end wiggled back and forth rather comically as she tried her hardest to jam herself into the hidden passageway. Her bushy tail slapped him several times in the face thanks to her enthusiastic efforts, and he hurriedly backed off a few steps. "…Are you sure…you can…fit in there."

"Don't be rude! _Hmmph_!" Came her muffled rejoinder, since she was still planted headfirst in the hole. "S'just my winter coat growing in; s'not like I ate too much earlier or anythin'!"

There was a snort that came from somewhere above them, and Eishi turned his gaze upwards only to meet Eizan's narrowed gaze. The Siamese had poked his head out of his kitty cave at the top of the tower due to all that commotion downstairs and he did not look happy to be disturbed. "We're indoor cats; we don't have winter coats," he muttered with annoyance. "Can you stop creating so much turbulence with your fat ass down there? Some of us are trying to nap here."

"Why, you!" Rindou had already made it halfway in, but much to Eishi's dismay, she was now starting to reverse to get back out of the tight space, the fur on her lower half bristling with affront. "Just you wait, I'mma come up and sit my fat ass on you in a bit!"

In the spirit of keeping the peace, the Turkish Angora did the only thing that he could think of. He darted forward and _bit_ her tail. She yowled in surprise at the sharp stimuli and shot forth like a bullet, disappearing into the much larger vent in a flash. He quickly slipped in after her. It was a snug fit at the mouth of the opening, but he managed to pass through far easier than she did. Her golden eyes shone in the darkness as she glowered at him resentfully in the wider duct. He felt awkward, but mustered up his courage and went up to her all the same. He gently butted her, attempting to soothe her irritation.

"Let's go," he offered quietly.

"My tail hurts," she complained. He twitched.

"How did you think I felt when you bit my tail all the time?" he muttered back. She snickered, finding his disgruntlement incredibly humorous, and then she licked his cheek. All was forgiven.

"Just wait until we get back; that sourpuss Eizan isn't gonna know what hit him!" she declared, turning to lead the way out of the building to freedom. "But first, TUNA!"

"Wait," Eishi interjected before she could get too excited. She paused and swiveled her head to stare at him. "Before that, there's somewhere I want to go first."

Her triangular ears prickled with intrigue. "Hm? Somewhere you wanna go?"

He gathered his resolve and nodded. "…Yes."

* * *

That 'somewhere' turned out to be the largest house she had ever seen, four hours' walk from the cat cafe. It was a dark and empty house. It was gloomy. It did not look like a fun place at all. Her white haired companion did not approach the big, deserted dwelling he had travelled so determinedly and tirelessly to find, though. He sat on the sidewalk right before the house and just _stared_ at it for the longest time. She could just feel the _gloom_ emanating from him, and did not have to ask where this 'somewhere' was.

It was obvious enough.

Once, this had been 'home.'

Now, it was abandoned and cold. Whatever…or whoever he had been looking for was no longer there. There had been nothing there for a long time, maybe except ghosts.

…He was growing sad again, her new friend. She nudged him before he could turn into a depressed puddle on the pavement. He stared at her dully.

She nosed him with a delicate tenderness that was reserved for so very few, it was practically unheard of. It was a good thing that they were the only ones around, then. He didn't want to respond to her ministrations, but she had never been one to be easily discouraged. She nudged him again and again, and then she sat beside him and licked his ear, his face, his throat, slowly and patiently and calmly, the way a mother cat would to warm up a frozen kitten. Eventually, even the cold insidious numbness that encroached began to slowly thaw before her insistent, generous warmth. He shuddered, cracking, struggling not to drown beneath the wave of renewed grief that threatened to sweep him under.

She purred long and slow, and was so _sweet_ that he could not help but start to cave, slowly capitulating unto her. She did not make fun of his momentary weakness, she did not offer any sympathy. Her wordless company was comforting. Her amicable presence soothed his weary, aching heart.

"Let's go play after you've rested enough," she offered after a while. She was unimaginably _kind_ , he was beginning to realize. It was hard to fathom, but this boisterous Queen had been rather kind to him from the very start, in her own frisky, mischievous way.

He was… _grateful_.

* * *

The next day, after a series of mishaps (adventures) that involved getting chased by angry dogs and stealing breakfast right from the plates of indignant diners by a roadside café, they finally arrived at their intended destination.

Rindou was so happy she was beside herself with joy and anticipation. Her eyes were huge and sparkling brightly with excitement, it was as if she had turned into a gamboling kitten all over again. She stuck her twitching nose in the air and scented her surroundings, her tail waving back and forth with piquant pleasure at all the thrilling sights and aromas all around them.

"Eishi, Eishi, we're really here! I can smell somethin' salty…it must be the sea!" she chirruped. "Look, _look_! That's the huge statue of the fish that Old Man Senzaemon mentioned! It's all true! It's really here! This must be the building! There must be _tons_ of fish inside!"

She was starting to salivate just thinking of all that deliciousness waiting to be had within the large holding. Even Eishi's interest was reluctantly stirred once more, even though he was still skeptical of the idea of the existence of _that_ many fish in one place. The two cats sat before the humongous concrete and steel construction and studied the entranceway carefully. There were humans milling around everywhere and they were just still lucky enough that they hadn't been caught after their multiple escapades. Eishi was not one for getting into trouble, but one look at his red furred companion, so eager and thrilled, and he resigned himself to what laid ahead.

She was his…friend. If she wanted to catch fish, it was the least he could do to go with her, after all that she had done for him.

"We're absolutely going to be stealthy and careful this time, Rindou," he told her firmly, even though he knew that it was a lost cause. Once she got too excited, she just went off and did whatever she wanted anyway. Rindou nodded unhesitatingly at his condition, but that feeling of doom only grew further.

"Okay! I'll be absolutely super-duper stealthy and careful! I'll be like the wind! Nobody's gonna know I'm there!" she promised convincingly.

"…I don't believe a thing you just said, but let's go, anyway."

"You're awesome, I loveee youuuu~" She headbutted him affectionately before bouncing ahead, only this time…his heart _fluttered_ in response.

He stuttered to a stop, visibly bewildered by his own innate reaction. Eh. _Eh_?

"C'mon, let's get moving already! Quick, quick – now's not the time for spacing out, Eishi! Let's go catch us some lunchhhh!"

It was truly unfortunate that the two felines were unable to read human script. If they could, they would have easily deciphered the huge string of kanji printed in bold on the front of the building entrance that said it all: _**Sumida Aquarium.**_

* * *

They did find the tuna eventually, after sneaking around the glowing, darkened hallways for a while, though not in the state they expected. Rindou sat before the humongous exhibit, her eyes the size of marbles as she stared at the humongous species swimming leisurely about behind the dense, specially reinforced glass walls. Each one of those fishes with the powerful tails and the shimmering, quicksilver scales were big enough to swallow the feline _whole_.

The Somali reached out and petted the cool transparent walls with her forepaw, almost as if testing the integrity of the structure. Much to her displeasure, the barrier held resolute even when she batted at it.

"No! We can't catch tuna like this!" she wailed, standing on her rear legs and resting her front paws against the thick glass, her tail twitching unhappily. "My lunch! Get over here!"

Eishi just stared at her like he thought that she was completely out of her mind. Or maybe she was just really optimistic. Did she not see how gigantic those fishes were? He didn't think that the entire clowder of cats back at the cat café would be able to bring even one of these giants down. He had never seen fishes this big before, and unlike her, he was quite thankful that there was a barrier separating them.

"Rindou…I don't think that we're going to be catching any tuna here today," he stated semi-hesitantly, keeping one eye on her and one eye on the giant exhibits. "Let's go home."

She finally tore her gaze from the tunas to gaze at him, surprised. "Home?"

He nodded, not understanding her puzzlement. "We should go back before the owners return…"

"You just called the cat café 'home,'" Rindou pointed out with much interest.

Eishi paused. And blinked.

"It is home…now, isn't it?"

She dropped back onto the ground and pitter pattered up to him. "Yes. Home is home~ Do you think there'd be tuna waiting for us when we go back?"

"…You're not going to stop until we finally had tuna, are you?"

"Of course, why would you think otherwise? Okay~! Let's go home and plan our next adventure!"

"…Next…adventure? You mean, you intend to do this all the time?" He sounded alarmed.

Her fluffy foxlike tail swished happily. "Duh! I've gotta partner to play with now! So you better go on more fun adventures with me in the future, Eishi~!"

* * *

 _::owari::_

* * *

Your reviews make me update faster; so please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-sllebswap


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